Magnetic lid holding means for can openers



NOV. 11, 1952 LEHMANN ETAL 2,617,185

MAGNETIC LID HOLDING MEANS FOR CAN OPENERS Filed March s, 1951 INVENTORS. I GEORGE A. LEHMANN,

I WILLIAM E. GUNDELF/NGER,

By M

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 11, 1952 MAGNETIC LIDIHOLDING MEANS FOR CAN OPENERS George A.-Lehm ann, Ferguson, and William E. Gundclfingcr, House Springs, Mo.

Application March 8, 1951, SerialNo.1214,492

This invention relates to can 'openers'andlhas particular reference to magnetic lid holding means for can openers.

The invention has for its principal object the provision of an improved device adapted for detachable mounting on a can opener for magnetically engaging and holding the can lid during and after the severance thereof soas'to prevent the lid from dropping into thecontents of the can and to facilitate itsremoval.

The means of the presentinvention include an elongate plate havingnovel means at one end coacting with provisions on the can opener frame for detachably and pivotally connecting the plate .to the frame, the attachment means normally supporting the plate in a horizontal position above thelevel of the can top and permitting free upward pivotal movement thereof. A magnet is ,dependingly mounted in a novel and improved manner on the outer end of the plate o arm so that it will'seat firmly on the can top and will adjust'itself soas to conform to changes in the angularity of the can top durin the opening process, thereby enabling it toretain its hold on the top.

In the drawingFig. 1 is a side view of the lid holding device hereof, shown mounted on a can opener; n

Fig. .2 is 'a top plan view of the assembly illustrated in Fig. 1;

1 Fig. 3iistabottom ;plan view :of the magnetic lid holding device;and

Fig. 4 'is :a sectional view taken plane indicated by line A-4.of-Fig..2.

Referring zllOW by characters of reference-to the drawing, the lid holding means of the invention isintended for use on'and in connection with a Wall mounted can opener of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. This device has an elongate frame plate l having provisions indicated generally at H for mounting the same on a wall, with the plate 10 disposed in a vertical plane. The operating mechanism at the opposite or outer end of the frame plate includes. a cutte l2 which may be a fixed blade orarotary disc, the latter being shown herein; a tooth feeding wheel l3 that engages the upper rim of the can and servesto turn the same relative to the cutter l2; a'crank l5 by which the feeding Wheel is rotated; suitable means operated by and identified-with the lever [B for moving the feeding wheel I3 toward and from the blade l2 at the start and finish of the opening process, and a bracket I! that projects laterally from the frame plate It and serves to guide and maintain the can in a along the :6 Claims. (01. 30-424) 2 substantially vertical position during the opening process.

The lid holding deviceof this invention, comprises an arm-20 formed inthe present example of flat metal stock and having a longitudinal reinf-orcing rib 2| pressed therein. At its inner end the arm 20 is shaped to provide a key projection consisting of a head portion 22 connected by a narrow-neck of metal 23 to an end edge surface of the arm. The key projection aforesaid is compatible-with a-key slot 24 formed in the frame plate I0 of the can opener,located inwardly and substantially at the level of the latez'ally projecting bracket IT. The described key and slotmeans aifords detachable mounting for the lid holding arm 20 and also permits that member'to pivot upwardly about the key slot opening as a fulcrum point. The arm is normally supported in asubstantia-lly horizontal position, having an intermediate laterally projecting portion 25 adapted to seat downwardly against the frame projection l1, and having a depending end flange near itskey projection 2-2 adapted to-b-ear against the. side surface of the frame plate. Theparts 22, 25 and '26 of the arm coact with the frame plate in a manner normally to hold the arm in a substantially horizontal position, yet permit the outer end of the arm to rock or pivot upwardly. The arm' is adapted to be connected to and disconnected from-the frame plate by placing it in a substantially vertical position and with i-tskey projection 22 insubstantrail-registration with thekeyxslot 24, thus permittlng of lateral relative movement of the parts. Thedetacha'ble feature above describedis highly advantageous because it facilitates cleaning, and permits of more compact packaging.

As best-appears from Fig. 2 thearm 20 extends angularly forwardly from the side of the can opener frame plate and its forward or outer-end is spaced laterally from the cutter, substantially at the horizontal level thereof. Suspendingly mounted on the outer end of the arm is a magnet 27 consisting in the present example of a somewhat elongated rectangular metal blank, preferably formed of aluminum-nickel-cobaltalloy. It is preferably formedto provide salient pole faces on its bottom surface. The magnet 21 is carried by a holder 28 of sheet metal, the holder embracing the end surfaces of the magnet and including a strap portion 29 that ext-ends across the top and downwardly along the sides, terminating at inwardly turned tabs 30 that embrace the mid-under portion of the magnet. A boss 3| formed on the hold-er 28 accommodates an enlarged head portion 32 on the lower end of a vertical stud 33 that projects through a slotted opening in the top of the said boss. Stud 33 is rectangular in cross section and it projects upwardly loosely through a correspondingly shaped opening 34 in the forward end of the arm 28, terminating in an enlarged head portion 35 at the upper end of the stud.

The described mounting provisions for the magnet afiords a highly flexible connection which permits the magnet to turn in a horizontal plane through a limited arc, to swing to a limited extent in all vertical planes, and to be displaced upwardly relative to the arm as will appear from the positions of the members as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The non-circular opening 34 in the arm coacts with the stud 33 in a manner to limit turning thereof such that the magnet is prevented from turning in the direction of normal can rotation during an opening operation beyond a posir tion of right angular relationship with the frame of the can opener. That is to say, in the course of a can opening operation the magnet will attach itself to the top of the can which will turn in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2. The

magnet is permitted by its mounting provision to turn with the can until it attains a position of right angular relationship with respect to the can opener frame, as also appears from Fig. 2. Further rotation of the magnet is prevented and continued rotation of the can will be accompanied by a sliding of its top surface against the pole faces of the magnet.

The purpose of limiting rotation of the magnet as aforesaid until it assumes a right angular position with respect to the can opener frame is that when the magnet is in the described position it is best adapted to retain its hold on the top. The can top is caused to tilt upwardly from a point on its circumference adjacent the blade at the completion of the cutting operation. The extremely flexible mounting of the magnet allows it to adjust itself to any changing angular position of the can top during and followin the cutting process. The described mounting arrangement places the magnet in an optimum position for holding the can lid and permits of a smaller magnet being employed as compared with those of heretofore prevailing types of magnetic lidholding means.

Having described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a can opener including a frame member, a lid-holding device including an arm, means detachably and pivotally connecting said arm at one end to said frame member, a magnet having a mounting stud projecting upwardly from the top thereof, said stud passing loosely through an opening in the outer end of said arm and terminating in an enlarged head portion, said magnet being adapted for vertical movement and limited angular movement relative to said arm.

2. In a can opener, a frame member having a key slot formed therein, a lid holding device including an arm, said arm having a key projection compatible with said key slot for detachably connecting the arm to said frame member, and a magnet swingably mounted on the outer end of said arm.

3. In a can opener, a frame member having a key slot formed therein and having a projection at one side thereof, a lid holding device including an arm having a key projection compatible with said slot for detachably and pivotally connecting the arm to said frame member, said arm being adapted to seat downwardly against said frame projection, and a magnet swingably mounted on the outer end of said arm.

4. In a can opener, a frame member having a key slot therein and a projection at one side thereof, a lid holding device including an arm having a key projection compatible with said key slot for detachably and pivotally connecting the arm to said frame member, said arm being adapted to seat downwardly against said frame projection, said arm having a depending flange abutting the side surface of the frame whereby said arm is normally positioned in a substantially horizontal plane, and a magnet movably mounted on the outer end of said arm.

5. In combination with a wall mounted can opener including a frame member, a lid holding device including an arm detachably connected to said frame member, an elongated magnet having salient pole portions on the bottom thereof, a magnet holder including a strap extending across the top of the magnet, slotted openings formed in said strap and said arm, a stud extending loosely through said openings and having enlarged head portions at the ends thereof, said magnet being thereby adapted for limited vertical movement, and limited angular movement in both horizontal and vertical planes relative to said arm, said slotted openings and said stud being formed and arranged so as to check horizontal angular movement of the magnet in one direction when the longitudinal axis of the magnet is substantially at a right angle to the frame member of the can opener.

6. In a can opener, a frame member having a key slot therein and a projection at one side thereof, a lid holding device including an arm having a key projection compatible with said key slot for detachably and pivotally connecting the arm to said frame member, said arm normally seating downwardly against said frame projection, said arm having a depending flange abutting the side surface of the frame whereby said arm is normally positioned in a substantially horizontal plane, a magnet, a magnet holder including a strap extending across the top of the magnet, openings formed in said strap and in the outer end of said arm, a stud extending loosely through said openings having enlarged retaining heads on the ends thereof, said magnet being adapted for limited vertical movement and limited universal swinging movement with respect to said arm. I

GEORGE A. LEHMANN. WILLIAM E. GUNDELFINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,265,491 Powers Dec. 9, 1941 2,296,073 Walgo Sept, 15, 1942 2,437,234 Webb Mar. 2, i948 

